Portugal is another of the greatest colonial empires of the past. During the Age of Discovery, Portuguese navigators, generously sponsored by their rulers, in search of shorter routes to mysterious India and China, discovered new lands. Travelers had no idea about the size of the territories they accidentally discovered and did not attach much importance to them. The Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 did not allow Portugal to own territories west of the "papal meridian," so the lands of Brazil were the only possession of Portugal in the New World. Having lost Brazil as its colony, the Kingdom of Portugal (and later the Republic) concentrated on its African and Asian territories.
KM # 2, 10 centavos 1929, nickel-bronze alloy, 500 thousand copies, the only year of production.
KM # 3, 20 centavos 1929, nickel-bronze alloy, 250 thousand copies, the only year of production.
KM # 1, 50 centavos 1929, nickel-bronze alloy, 400 thousand equivalent, production years 1928-1929
KM # 4, 1 escudo 1939, copper-nickel alloy, 100 thousand equivalent, only year of manufacture
KM # 5, 2.5 escudos 1939, silver 0.650, 80 thousand exes, only year of production
KM # 6, 5 escudos 1939, silver 0.650, 60 thousand copies, only year of production
KM # 7, 10 escudos 1939, silver 0.650, 40 thousand copies, only year of production
Cape Verde Islands
Paper banknotes have been issued on the islands by private individuals since 1842. Since 1897, a branch of the National Overseas Bank, opened in 1865, was engaged in the issuance of banknotes. There were no own coins in circulation until 1930.
The line included 5 coins in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 centavos and 1 escudo. The design is copied from coins of the Portuguese Republic of the same period, but with the name of the colony. Centavos were issued with circulations of 1-1.5 million exs. escudo only 50 thousand ex.
KM # 1, 5 centavos 1930, bronze, 1 million ex. only year of production
KM # 2, 10 centavos, 1930, bronze, 1.5 mlnex, single year of manufacture
KM # 3, 20 centavos, 1930, bronze, 1.5 MMex. only year of manufacture
KM # 4, 50 Centavos, 1930, Nickel Bronze Alloy, 1 MMexe, Single Year of Manufacture
Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau)
Coins for Portuguese Guinea were first issued in 1933. The composition of the mint and the design of the coins are the same as that of Cape Verdean coins. Circulation is much less - from 100 to 800 thousand copies.
KM # 3. 20 centavo, 1933, bronze, 350 thousand copies, only year of manufacture
KM # 4, 50 centavos 1933, nickel-bronze alloy, 600 thousand exes, only year of production
KM # 5, 1 escudo 1933, nickel-bronze alloy, 800 thousand copies, only year of production
Portuguese Angola
The first coins for Angola came into circulation at the end of the 17th century. In the XX century, the first coins were issued in 1921. They did not bother with the design of the coins, he copies Portuguese coins of the same period, but with the name of the colony on the reverse. Material for minting coins: bronze, copper-nickel alloy and pure nickel.
KM # 62, 5 centavos 1921, bronze, 720 thousand copies, production years 1921-1924
KM # 63, 10 Centavo 1923, Copper-Nickel Alloy, 2.9M Equivalent, Years 1921-1923
KM # 64, 20 centavos 1921, copper-nickel alloy, 2.1 million equivalent, production years 1921,1922
KM # 65, 50 centavos 1923, nickel, 6 MMex. years 1922-1923
In 1927, a line of coins was released in an updated design. Small denominations of 1 and 2 centavos were removed, the remaining 4 coins with denominations from 5 to 50 centavos were issued in the same style .
KM # 66, 5 centavos (1 makuta) 1927, nickel-bronze alloy, 2 million, single year of manufacture
KM # 67, 10 centavos (2 macuts) 1927, copper-nickel alloy, 2 million, production years 1927-1928
KM # 68, 20 centavos (4 macuts) 1928, copper-nickel, 500 thousand equivalent, production years 1927-1928
KM # 69, 50 centavos (10 macuts) 1928, nickel bronze alloy, 1.6 million equivalent, years 1927-1928
The image of Liberty is the same as on the coins of São Tomé and Príncipe. Please note that Portuguese denominations are adapted to the local, historically established monetary unit - makuta, after the name of cotton fabric, once used for a long time in commodity and monetary relations. Coins in Portuguese Angola in makuta first began to be issued in 1762, under King Jose I.
Interesting detail. In 1928, a new paper currency was introduced - angolar (= 1.25 escudos). While the exchange of escudos for angolars was carried out at the above rate, exchange coins of previous issues continued to be used with a exchange rate of 100 centavos = 1 angolar. That is, escudo banknotes were devalued, while the centavo coin exchange rate increased by 25%, while the angolar continued to be tied to the Portuguese escudo.
Portuguese Mozambique
Another of the oldest Portuguese colonies, coins for which first saw the light in 1706. In the XX century, new banknotes, in accordance with the aforementioned decree, began to be issued in 1914, coins in 1935. Unlike the coins of other colonies and the Portuguese Republic itself, there is no profile of a woman-Freedom. On the obverse is the denomination, on the reverse is the coat of arms and the name of the colony.
KM # 63, 10 Centavo 1936, Bronze, 2 M Ex., Single Year of Manufacture
KM # 64, 20 centavos 1936, bronze, 2.5 million copies, only year of manufacture
KM # 65, 50 centavos 1936, copper-nickel alloy, 2.5 M equivalent, single year of manufacture
KM # 66, 1 escudo 1936, copper-nickel alloy, 2.5 M equivalent, single year of manufacture
KM # 61, 2.5 escudos 1935, silver 0.650, 1.2 M ex. only year of production
Since 1938, coins of Mozambique have been issued with a new coat of arms: the armillary sphere has been moved out of the shield, its place has been taken by a bunch of arrows. The sphere is crowned with a tower crown.
KM # 72, 10 centavos 1942, bronze, 2 million ex. only year of production
KM # 71, 20 centavos 1941, bronze, 2 million ex. only year of production
KM # 73, 50 centavos 1945, bronze, 2.5 MMex. only year of production
KM # 74, 1 escudo 1945, bronze, 2 million ex. only year of production
KM # 68, 2 ½ escudos 1942, silver 0.650, 1.2 million exes, years 1938-1951
Portuguese India
The history of the issue of coins for Portuguese India goes back more than five centuries. It was unprofitable to deliver coins from the metropolis by sea in the Middle Ages, therefore, at different times, their own mints were founded on the territory of this Asian colony. The denominations of coins and the materials used to make them are diverse. Here are their names: golden sherafins, silver rupees, pardao, tanga, pataki, copper-tin bazarukko and reals, copper atia.
The mint in Goa, the last in Portuguese India, was closed by the British in 1869. In 1871, the Lisbon Mint issued a line of 6 coins for circulation in Portuguese India, which included copper coins in denominations of 3, 5, 10 flights, ¼ tangi (15 flights), ½ tangi (30 flights) and 1 tanga (60 flights). On the coins there is no mention of the ruling monarch - Luis I, which is unusual for Portugal.
On the coins of the next issue, which took place in 1881, the situation was corrected. In addition to indicating the throne name of King Luis I, on coins of all denominations his profile. The mint has also changed, it included copper coins in denominations of 1⁄8 and ¼ tangi, and silver 1⁄8, ¼, ½ and 1 rupee .
KM # 307, 1⁄8 Tanga 1881, Copper, 12.9K equivalent , years 1881-1886
KM # 308, ¼ tanga 1886, copper, years of manufacture 1881-1888
KM # 310, ¼ rupees 1881, silver 0.917. 471 kEq, only year of production
KM # 311, ½ rupees 1882, silver 0.917, production years 1881-1882 with a total circulation of 357 thousand copies.
KM # 312, 1 rupee 1882, silver 0.917, production years 1881-1882 with a total circulation of 1.8 million exes.
The line of coins of the next Portuguese monarch - Carlos I, already included 5 denominations, and coins in denominations of 1⁄8, ¼, ½ did not issue rupees, but issued coins in 1/12 and ½ tanga.
KM # 14, 1⁄8 tanga 1901, bronze, 900 thousand copies, years of production 1901,1903
KM # 15, ¼ tanga 1903, bronze, 800 thousand exes, years of manufacture 1901,1903
KM # 16, ½ tanga 1901, bronze, 800 thousand copies, years of production 1901,1903
KM # 17, 1 rupee 1904, silver 0.917. 100 thousand equivalent, years of manufacture 1903,1904
After Portugal was declared a Republic, the first 1 rupee coins with the Liberty profile on the obverse were issued in 1912.
KM # 18, 1 rupee 1912, silver 0.917. 300 kEq, only year of production
The coins of the next issue, which occurred in 1934-1936, depict the coats of arms of Portugal and Portuguese India on the obverse and reverse. Moreover, on coins in 1, 2 and 4 tanga, issued in 1934, the inscription "Republic of Portugal" surrounds the coat of arms of Portuguese India on the obverse, and the inscription "Portuguese India" surrounds the coat of arms of Portugal on the reverse. On coins of 1935-1936 issued in denominations of ½ and 1 rupee, inscriptions in a circle correspond to emblems.
KM # 23, ½ rupees 1936, silver 0.917. 100 kEq, only year of production
KM # 22, 1 rupee 1935, silver 0.917. 300 kEq, only year of production
As mentioned above, the monetary reform of 1913 did not affect the coins of Portuguese India. This colony continued to issue rupees until 1958. A little from the history of the rupee of Portuguese India. Until 1668, the original monetary unit in these territories was xeraphim. In 1666, the Portuguese colonial authorities issued a coin in denomination of 2 xerafim, equal to 1 rupee, circulating in the rest of India. Over the years, the name "rupee" has become so fixed for double xerafim that they have already begun to divide the rupee into components (real, pardao), and not the xerafim itself. Until 1871, 1 rupee = 2 xeraphim = 750 bazaruko = 600 flight = 20 pardau = 10 tanga. After the reform of 1871, the ratio changed and 1 rupee began to equal 960 flights = 16 tanga. Since the rupee of Portuguese India corresponded in value to the rupee of British India, the tanga was equal in value to the anna of British India.
Portuguese Timor
In 1702, the territories of Timor were declared Portuguese. The Portuguese real, as well as the currency of the Dutch East Indies, the banknotes of the banks of Hong Kong and Shanghai were in circulation for a long time among the population of the island. In 1894, the pataca, equal to 450 Portuguese reais, was declared the main monetary unit of Timor. The issue of banknotes in patakas was started only in January 1906, and until that time silver Mexican pesos with a cross-shaped nadchekan were used as patakas, to which it was equated .
During the Japanese occupation of the island, the Japanese occupation guilder and then the Japanese occupation rupee were used as funds. Both currencies were issued in banknotes, no coins were minted.
The first coins for Portuguese Timor were issued only after the restoration of the Portuguese colonial administration in 1945. These were denominations of 10, 20 and 50 avos, issued on blanks made of bronze, nickel bronze and silver, respectively, in circulations of 50-100 thousand copies. The name of the currency "avo" denotes a part of the numeral. Derived from the naming of Spanish and Portuguese bargaining chips and is a suffix of the centavo currency.
At the time of the issue of these coins, the rate against the Portuguese currency was 5.5 Timorese pataki for 1 Portuguese escudo.
KM # 6, 20 Avos 1945, nickel-bronze alloy, 50 thousand equivalent, only year of production
KM # 7, 50 avos 1945, silver 0.650, 100 thousand exes, production years 1945-1951
It should be noted that in another Portuguese territory - Macau, as a currency in 1906, banknotes in patakas were also issued, which was pegged to the Hong Kong dollar. Coins for Macau were not issued until 1952.